EarPods
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iPhone 12 comes with free EarPods in France thanks to radiation laws
Apple announced on Tuesday that it won’t be shipping the four new iPhone 12 models with EarPods or a power adapter, as a way to prevent them from ending up in landfills. In France, however, the new devices will have earphones in the coffret, likely thanks to a quirk of local laws, as spotted by MacRumors.
Apple cuts prices on EarPods and its iPhone power adapter by $10
Apple made its EarPods and new power adapter for the iPhone a bit more affordable after confirming that the new iPhones will no longer ship with accessories. The tech giant now sells the EarPods with Lightning connector on the Apple Store for $19 (as noticed by MacRumors), down $10 from its original price. At the same time, the new 20W power adapter for the iPhone also costs $19, which is $10 less than the old adapter the company has discontinued.
The AirPods aren't a must-buy (yet)
The iPhone 7 goes on sale in a few days, and with it comes another nail in the headphone jack's proverbial coffin. Included in the box you'll find a pair of Lightning-tipped EarPods and a Lightning-to-3.5mm adapter for your analog headphones, but to hear Apple tell it, the future of music is wireless. That's where the $159 AirPods come in: the company's totally cordless earbuds are slated for an October launch, and they promise elegance, ease of use and great sound. They deliver ... some of that, but after about a week of testing, they often felt as confusing as they did cool. Note: Our original review was conducted with AirPods that we understood to be consumer ready, but in hindsight that obviously wasn't the case. After using the originals for about three months with no issue, I received a final-production set, and was able to compare the two. We have since updated this review with further impressions. Long story short: We are bumping the score from 79 to 80, but generally speaking all of our earlier praise and criticism still applies.
Apple's AirPods toe the line between usefulness and gimmickry
Apple's embracing this whole "no headphone jack" thing in a big way, and there's no better indicator than the company's new $159 AirPods. They're not quite ready for public consumption -- the launch is scheduled for next month -- but Apple had plenty of pairs to play with here at its iPhone launch event in San Francisco. As far as first impressions go, the AirPods certainly seem neat enough. Still, do they have the chops to become a must-have for iPhone owners? I really, really doubt it.
Apple's AirPods are smart wireless earbuds with a new W1 chip
The rumor that Apple would nix the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus has been circulating off and on since late last year. Today, the company made it official: RIP 3.5mm port on the iPhone. Apple says that Lightning offers multiple uses where the old port did a single job, so that headphone jack is gone and it's being replaced with a fancy new wireless audio accessory and Lightning EarPods. The new Bluetooth wireless earbuds are called AirPods, and they weren't exactly a well-kept secret either.
Apple's high-end wireless earbuds may not ship with iPhone 7
The long-rumoured death of the iPhone's headphone jack has left everybody wondering: What's going to become of Apple's EarPods? Well, they'll probably go wireless, but according to one analyst, they won't come with your iPhone. They'll be sold separately -- and they might be expensive. KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Apple will announce a pair of high-end "AirPod" earbuds tomorrow as a premium accessory for iPhone 7 buyers. They won't come in the box like Apple's current earbuds, he says, and may not even use Bluetooth.
10 ways to control your iPhone with your Apple earbuds
Longtime Apple enthusiasts sometimes forget that the company is still gaining new fans every day. Apple sold 43,719,000 iPhones in the second quarter of 2014 alone. That's a lot of people who may not know all of the capabilities of their devices, let alone how to make the most of the earbuds that come with said device. So if you've always wondered how to control your iPhone with just your Apple earbuds or you know a recent Apple convert, you're in luck. We're here to help. The Basics: Your Apple earbuds have three controls: Volume Up with a + sign, Volume Down with a - sign, and a Center Button in the middle. Even though there are three buttons on your earbuds, almost every single command is controlled via the Center button. The Volume buttons are strictly for controlling sound levels, so congratulations, you've already mastered them. Enjoy a cool drink. Advanced Earbud Controls or How To Master The Center Button: Now that you know the basics, let's get down to the nine different ways you can utilize your Center button to control your iPhone. These controls also work on your iPad or iPod. 1. Play or pause media: Press the center button once to pause your song or video. When you're ready to resume playback simply press it again. 2. Skip to the next track/chapter: Quickly press the center button twice to skip forward. 3. Fast-forwarding: To fast-forward, quickly press the center button twice and then hold down. 4. Skip back to the previous track/chapter: To go back to a previous track quickly press the center button three times. 5. Rewinding: You may be noticing a theme with this one. To rewind quickly press the center button three times and then hold down. 6. Answering or ending a phone call: Answering a phone call is like starting or ending a song, simply press the center button once. When you want to hang up press the center button again. 7. Decline incoming calls: Sometimes you don't want to talk to people. Apple understands, so to decline a phone call simply hold down the center button for two seconds and then let go. You'll hear two beeps once you let go to confirm that you successful declined the call. 8. Switch from a current call to an incoming call: If you're talking to someone on the phone with your earbud microphone and another call comes in, you don't have to pull out your device to switch lines. Just press the center button once to put your current call on hold. When you're done, press it again to switch back. 9. Switch to an incoming call while hanging up on your current call: Sometimes you need to switch to an incoming call and hang up your current call simultaneously. Your earbuds have you covered. Just hold down the center button for two seconds and let go. Much like when you decline an incoming call you'll hear two beeps to confirm you've hung up. 10. Use Siri: Maybe while you're listening to your favorite playlist you suddenly need to know where Tom Petty is from or search for upcoming movie showtimes. When you've got your earbuds plugged into your iOS device you can activate Siri by pressing the center button once and holding down. If you'd like to continue a conversation with Siri, just press and hold the center button again whenever you want to talk. We hope you find these tips useful, whether you're a seasoned Apple pro or just learning the ropes of your first iPhone. Remember, there is power in your earbuds. Seize it for your own purposes.
That biometric EarPod story was a load of baloney
Late last week, the tech news world was buzzing due to a post on Secret purporting to be leaking details about the next generation of Apple's EarPods. As you can see in the image above, the post made some big promises that understandably got people excited. A large number of news outlets -- from 9to5Mac to the Daily Mail -- all ran with the story with various degrees of skepticism. We chose not to, since while it certainly paralleled descriptions of certain patents we'd heard about from Apple before, it was ultimately just a rumor. Today the person behind that rumor came out and admitted it was all a hoax in a long Tumblr blog post explaining their motives and confusion when the whole story exploded. As our world becomes more connected, voices that were once anonymous are given the megaphone of the public square, leading to more situations were simple mischief becomes news. If the Secret poster's blog is to believed, all of this started as a dumb joke: I'd been messing around with secret as an outlet for comedy. The anonymous nature makes it a fun place to post things you can't on twitter. I've been posting a few jokes there for a week or two. Because of the way Secret works, your posts only go to your friends and so I've been posting stuff there to try and give my friends a laugh. I like jokes and funny ideas and so Twitter and Secret are great for this kind of stuff. I wouldn't go as far as to call it art but it's a place I can test my creativity in a way I like to. I was sitting there doing my business thinking what today's joke would be. I take medication for ASD related stuff that can sometimes raise my blood pressure, so I was wishing I had an iPhone accessory that would measure it. I looked around on Amazon and eBay and couldn't find a good one at a price that it was worth to me. I was then thinking I wish Apple had a way to build one in to the phone. I started thinking how that would be possible. You can get the pulse from the camera with an app, but blood pressure is another thing. I thought jokingly you could wrap the headphones around your arm and measure it that way. From that, I thought a fake iPhone rumor about it would be a funny idea. The idea of Apple including a free heart pressure monitor, something that would cost >$100-$200, seemed ridiculous to me. I added the iBeacon thing to stretch it further and the audio jack port moving idea as some contrived logic to make it sound believable. Like the strait man of the comedy sketch. When small numbers of people in my "circle" started commenting (I don't know who they are) I played along with vague descriptions of how I would know about this. This vagueness caused people to collectively fill in the gaps. I made this mistake of not correcting people and playing up to the comments. Without releasing it, I had begun not just joking with a few friends, but accidentally trolling a far larger audience. Like all good rumors that get out of hand, the post didn't just reach the few intended friends it was original intended for. The very nature of Secret makes it impossible to know who is posting a story in the first place, removing one of the most important rules of making a joke work: the audience should know it's a joke. This joke was believable though; Apple has patents that could in theory be used to design exactly this kind of EarPod and with its recent acquisitions in the health field this rumor was just confirmation of what many readers already thought might be happening. It was a completely believable story -- only it couldn't be verified, so we didn't run with it. Thankfully this situation resolved itself quickly. The author of the Secret felt bad and worried about getting someone in trouble so they came clean. This might be a little paranoid. But one thing that worries me is with this timing, if I'm close enough to the mark with my guess, is that Apple might think someone they trust is leaking stuff, and someone might get in trouble for it. I made it all up. If I'm close. It's a lucky guess. I'm not vain enough to think that Apple hired someone based on my rumor. It was likely in the pipeline for ages. But it gave false verification to the fake rumor and made things even more complicated. Some posts are even suggesting that this "leak" is causing other manufacters (sic) to respond which sounds ridiculous. But again, fills me with fear that I might have even taken a small part in directing how Samsung spends their R&D money. I don't want to be like that XBOX 720 guy. But I wanted to come clean about how it happened and say sorry to anybody I've pissed off. I'm still amazed just how easy it was for it to get big without trying. That last line right there is why we here at TUAW rarely post specific rumor stories, but rather round them up all in one place humorously. Ultimately, it's too easy to sell a big idea that people already want to be true without any verification at all. We could say "this is a rumor, take it for what it's worth" but by reporting a story, even with a caveat, we're putting our name behind it. So when you think about sending us an email asking why we're not covering a current hot rumor, remember the EarPod incident of 2014. We promise -- the second we can prove that something is real, we'll do our best to tell you about it. You can read the complete Tumblr confession right here.
Jony Ive creates solid gold EarPods for charity auction
At an upcoming Sotheby's auction, folks will be able to bid on a pair of solid gold 18k EarPods designed by Apple design guru Jony Ive and industrial designer Marc Newson. In addition to golden EarPods, there will be a number of other items up for auction, all curated by Ive and Newson. "It's been a fantastic honor to curate this collection of objects with Marc for the auction at Sotheby's," Ive explained. "Each piece represents the value of thoughtful design. What we create for each other is not only a comment on our culture, but of course in many ways defines it. (RED) is making a difference in the lives of millions of people and we're humbled to make this contribution to such an important and worthy cause." Other items on the auction block include a unique Leica digital rangefinder camera, a grand piano from Steinway & Sons, artwork contributed by Banksy, a Russian cosmonaut suit, an Ive-customized 2012 Range Rover and a whole lot more. The auction, organized by U2's Bono for the benefit of his Project (RED) charity, will take place on November 23 in New York.
Why did nobody tell me that Apple headphones can be used to remotely snap iPhone photos?
I've owned every version of the iPhone starting with the original, three of the four iterations of the iPad and, oh yeah, I write about Apple products almost every day. Despite all that, I still manage to stumble across features on devices such as the iPhone and iPad that I either never learned about or forgot existed. Case in point: I found out today that the volume controls on Apple headphones or EarPods can be used to remotely control the camera shutter. I know. I was amazed, too. So here's how it works: Just like you can use the volume + button the side of the iPhone to snap a photo, the same thing applies to the volume buttons on official Apple headphones and EarPods. Simply bring up the camera app (or certain apps such as Camera+), set your camera as you want and press the volume + button to take the photo. Setting your phone on a steady surface and then using the remote shutter feature means you'll never have to worry about a shaky hand ruining the shot. Also, the volume controls on Apple EarPods are a little over three feet (or almost exactly one meter) from the plug, which should work well for snapping a photo of yourself and a few friends without dealing with a third-party camera timer app. I can't be the only one who missed this feature when it was originally implemented a couple of years back, right? Right?!
Hearing aid maker sues Apple over EarPods, alleges trademark infringement
Late last week, Apple was hit with a trademark infringement lawsuit courtesy of Randolph Divisions, a company that manufactures digital hearing aids. The Next Web reports that the suit, which was filed in Hawaii, alleges that Apple's EarPods headphones infringe upon their own "HearPod" trademark and product. Apple's EarPods were originally released alongside the iPhone 5 this past September. They were touted as offering better sound quality and more comfort than previous Apple headphones which, while iconic, weren't exactly best in class audio-wise. It's worth noting that Randolph Divisions has owned the "HearPod" trademark since 2007, though Apple itself does hold US trademarks for both "EarPods" and "Apple EarPods." So does Randolph Divisions have a case here? It sure doesn't seem like it. Under trademark law, the standard for infringement is whether or not two products are so similar as to cause a "likelihood of confusion" amongst consumers. In deciding whether two products with similar marks might result in customer confusion, a court may look at a number of factors, including how well-known a particular trademark is, how similar the two marks in question are (do they look similar, do they sound similar), the intent of the defendant and any evidence of actual customer confusion in the marketplace. In this particular case, it's a struggle to find an inkling of how customer confusion could exist. Randolph Divisions' HearPod hearing aids are in a completely different product category than Apple's EarPods. Furthermore, it seems hard, if not impossible, to imagine any consumer looking for hearing aids and mistakenly picking up a pair of Apple's white EarPods instead. It's also worth noting that the courts will sometimes look at how expensive or unique a product is when making a determination regarding the likelihood of customer confusion. For instance, when a product is particularly expensive or unique, customers are likely to be more informed of their purchase decisions and consequently less prone to confusion. To that end, hearing aids are as unique a product as any and it stands to reason that someone in the market for hearing aids certainly knows the difference between that and headphones. Nonetheless, the complaint attempts to paint both products as being similar in nature. It reads in part: Both Plaintiffs' Goods and Defendant's Goods are similar in nature in that, among other things, they are inserted into the ears of their users and are used to facilitate and enhance the transmission of sounds to the users. That's a stretch, to say the least. Randolph Divisions is also alleging infringement via trademark dilution. Here, again, the company runs into trouble as dilution is typically found when a company's trademark is either associated with an unseemly product (i.e. cigarettes) or is used on a product which blurs the distinctiveness of the original trademark. I would surmise that Randolph Divisons' only leg to stand on is the fact that the earpod.com domain name redirects to myhearpod.com, a domain owned and operated by Randolph Divisions. That, however, suggests that folks looking for the Apple headphones are more likely to be affected by product confusion than those looking for hearing aids. Randolph Divisions is asking for damages along with an order preventing Apple from selling its EarPods. Based on the above, I doubt this case will go anywhere, but it's certainly interesting to see Apple on the opposite side of a pod-centric legal dispute. Apple has historically been rather aggressive in protecting its Pod trademark. For instance, Apple opposed Sector Labs' plan to introduce a video projector called "Video Pod." The case ultimately went to trial with the US Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ruling that Apple's 'Pod' trademark was famous and therefore warranted broad protection under the law.
Klingg: That thing you don't know you need until you have one
I don't know if you have the same problem with the EarPods that Apple ships with the iPhone 5, but I find that a lot of times the friction of the cable on my shirt has a tendency to pull the pods out of my ears. It's annoying, especially when I'm in the middle of a phone call and the right side of the cable -- the one with the mic -- decides to flop down on the front of my shirt. Well, there's a product to help out with that problem. Klingg (US$19.95) is a tiny and very useful earphone magnet that holds the main cable in place on your clothing, keeping the EarPods from popping out. Klingg comes in a variety of color combinations to please just about anyone and is made in two pieces, each with a very powerful magnet inside of it. You put the main cable of your headphones into a slot on the front of the Klingg, then pull the rear half off of it. Put that rear piece under a piece of clothing, put the piece holding the headphones on the front, and now you have a strong, stable base holding your headphones in place. When you're walking around and have the EarPods out of your ears, you don't have to put up with the pods banging into your body because they can be auto-magnetically attached to the Klingg. Having part of my heritage from Italy, I have a hard time keeping my hands still when I talk, so my EarPods used to fall out a lot. Since I started using the Klingg, that doesn't happen very often at all. Klingg is a surprisingly useful product that solves a problem I didn't really know I had.
Baby squirrel goes nuts for Apple earphones
Apple's new EarPods are great, but what are we supposed to do with our old, "standard" Apple earphones? Feed them to a squirrel, apparently! As spotted by Tastefully Offensive, YouTube user Shimi777 not only appears to have an adorable baby squirrel running around his/her office, but also a spare pair of earphones for the little fella to nibble on. While we can't in good conscience advise that you let your own furry friends use a piece of electronics as a chew toy, the video is pretty adorable. [Via: Tastefully Offensive]
EarPods ship without mic with new iPod touch
If you're one of the many people who has picked up a new fifth-generation iPod touch recently, you probably noticed one little change to the EarPods that came with it -- they don't have the same inline remote with microphone that comes with the iPhone 5. The new iPod touch also has an A5 processor instead of the A6 found in the iPhone 5, and the specs of the camera aren't as good (a 5-megapixel sensor in contrast to the 8-megapixel camera in the iPhone 5), but then again, the device isn't an iPhone 5 -- it's an iPod touch. iPod touch owners planning on using their new device for FaceTime or Skype don't need to worry, though; the touch does have a built-in microphone that does the job. On the other hand, it's a little odd that users can't control the touch without tapping on the screen instead of using one hand on the remote. Are any TUAW readers who have received their new iPod touch finding the lack of the mic with inline remote to be a major disappointment? Let us know in the comments.
Apple's EarPods get the iFixit teardown treatment, found to basically be earbuds
As we briefly mentioned in our EarPods review, iFixit was able to teardown Apple's latest generation of earbuds, which are currently shipping with the iPhone 5. While we weren't quite sure what was going on with their insides, the site has confirmed some of our suspicions and detailed a few other fun facts. As it turns out, the internal layout of each earpiece is essentially that of an average 'bud with a forward-facing driver. The new top section, with its side-facing audio port, is apparently a good chunk of what affects the sound in unison with those strategically placed vents. The improved bass and low-mid response we noted in our review falls in line with iFixit's confirmation that the new driver in each Pod is made with a paper speaker cone -- in contrast to the plastic used on the older model. As the site notes, those driver diaphragms should be less likely to blow-out, and the basket behind 'em have also been updated with a cleaner fit and finish. Aside from that, you'll be pleased to know that the inline remote appears to have an improved seal for protection from the elements, and it'll hold up better to cable snags. As you might imagine, the $29 headphones have been deemed as disposable rather than repairable. Don't take our word for it however -- you can read the teardown for yourself at the source link below.
Apple EarPods review: A $29 revolution in earbuds or another set for the recycling bin?
Whether you think they're infamous or merely a signature piece of Apple design, there's no doubt most of us have been exposed the company's iconic white earbuds. Along with the latest batch of iPods and the iPhone 5, Apple announced the replacement for those dreaded earphones, a pair of 'buds called the EarPods. Given that these are bundled with new iDevices (also sold as a standalone for $29), it's hard not to think that the folks at Cupertino are drinking some sort of spiked Kool-Aid, claiming these rival headphones that cost hundreds more. While reviewing the likes of the iPhone 5, we also gave the EarPods a listen to find out whether or not they're just an over-engineered set of 'buds. You'll find our detailed verdict after the break.
Apple EarPods a big improvement over original Earbuds
Apple's Earbuds were introduced with the original iPod in 2001. After 11 years, Apple has replaced the iconic white earpieces with the EarPods (US$29). I bought a pair right away, as they're only a few dollars more than the throw-away headphones I usually buy from the drug store. After three days of use, I can say that the EarPods won't attract serious audiophiles but they raise the bar for entry-level audio quite a bit. Here's my look at Apple's new EarPods. OMG They Stay In My Ears I've owned several iPods and iPhones over the years. It didn't take long for me to realize that I shouldn't even bother freeing the Earbuds from their shrink wrap. They just don't stay in my ears. In fact, my ears actively repel Apple Earbuds, as if they mean to do me harm. If the EarPods stay in my head, I'll be happy. I'm glad to report that they do. I put them in my ears and they stayed put. I shook my head, jumped up and down, ran around the yard and took the dog for a walk. They never budged. Oh, glorious day! I can finally use the headphones I paid for. %Gallery-165628% Design They look like tiny hair driers. When discussing them at last week's press event, Apple noted that it's not easy to produce earphones that will accomodate a wide variety of ears. When you look at the shape of these whacky things, you get the idea that they were born of function, not form. That's fine with me. The remote / mic is situated just a few inches below the right EarPod and pretty easy to grab. It's close enough to your mouth to pick up your voice, whether you're on a phone or talking to Siri or VoiceOver. Use OK, here's this article's big caveat: I'm not an audiophile. Don't expect terms like "rich bass" or "mid-range," because you aren't going to see them. I can tell you that I was quite pleased with the sound. My anecdotal evidence is that they sounded better than my cheap drug store headphones and a pair of Earbuds I had around. Phone calls sounded good, too, and callers couldn't tell that I was on the EarPod mic vs. speaking directly into the phone. The remote supports 11 functions, including volume, pause, answer a call, defer a call, call switching and more. Conclusion Should you use them? For most people, the answer will be yes. They ship with your iPhone 5 and iPod and might even fit in your ears for a change. The sound isn't something to write home about but it's a big improvement from where it used to be and, like a I said, a huge improvement over entry-level audio. Finally, they're only a few bucks more than bottom-of-the-line headphones and offer so much more with the built-in remote and mic. This warrants a standalone purchase as well. Have fun!
Daily Update for September 12, 2012
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Apple EarPods hands-on
By now, you're probably familiar with Apple's latest earbuds. But are they an improvement over their arguably disposable predecessor, you ask? You bet. Still, they're not going to win out over high-end or even mid-range audio options. That's to be expected, though -- the EarPods do sound better, and, well, they cost 29 bucks and ship with all of the devices Apple announced today. The attractive white 'buds are packaged in a plastic case that's quite similar to the enclosure that Apple introduced with its previous-gen step-up set. They're very lightweight, not that you had any doubts, and appear to be durable enough. The "one size fits all" design worked well in our ears -- it wasn't a snug fit by any means, but we didn't fear that they'd fall to the ground with the slightest movement. You'll net the best performance in quieter settings, considering that they don't isolate sound like some other options on the market, and if you're a frequent air traveler or often find yourself working in noisy environments, you'll probably want to consider other options. That said, folks who don't need the absolute best or want to save up for a better solution should find these to be sufficient -- we didn't have a chance to do any in-depth testing and analysis, but expect that to come after we've had a chance to digest all of today's new gadgets. For now, you can take a closer look in the hands-on gallery just below.
